#Bruce Borgos

[pipperoni32-blog]

Shades of Mercy

by Bruce Borgos / 4 stars (A Porter Beck Mystery)

This second addition to the Porter Beck series was a great follow up! The points I want to highlight on it are:

- Beck's continued loss of sight. He's now completely blind in the dark, and eventually his regular sight will fade as well. To help combat this, he's brought on Columbo, a dog who failed in all other police categories, but who Beck might just be able to train to be his eyes. Fingers crossed.

- The group that makes up the Lincoln County police force. They might not always get along, or push each other's buttons, but they're a solid group of people with well rounded skills. And they always have Beck's back.

- The research. You can tell the work's been put in, and it shows. Even if a lot of it goes over my head.

- The support of the firefighters. Hot shots get more attention, but after living in an area that's been more impacted by forest fires, my estimation of wild land firefighters has only grown. I felt that there was so much respect given to the work they do, as well as highlighting just how much the police force in an area can be involved.

- The cyber/hacking element was so well done. Are these things that I wouldn't have spent a moment of thinking about? Of course, but it was presented in a way that made you realize the threat it could present, as well as coming across as perfectly believable. These were characters who knew their stuff, and again the way the case unfolded was top notch.

Once again, Beck's knowledge of his land, and the people on his side, gave him the chance he needed as more people joined in the chase for Mercy.

Great job, and thank you once again for the ARC through NetGalley from St. Martin's Press. I'll definitely be here for the next book as well!

[jolieeason]

Bookish Travels---July 2024 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for originally posting this!! This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books take you to places you would never get to. Bon Voyage!! Please let me know if you have read these books or traveled to these areas. Countries I visited the…

[sandythereadingcafe]

REVIEW:

THE BITTER PAST by Bruce Borgos at The Reading Cafe:

'detailed,complex, twisted and tangled'

[thereadingcafe]

[oracleofmadness]

This was so intense! An immediate page turner! A thriller with a decent amount of historical fiction that really puts this book over the edge from good to great!

Porter Beck is a lawman in an area of Nevada. This story starts with some very hectic scenes but then becomes more explanatory about the issues Beck is facing and some of the mind-boggling history of nuclear testing.

I feel like I got all my thrills and chills satisfied with this one. It's definitely a perfect addictive thriller to read this summer!

Out July 18, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Jean-Luc Picard

By Ames

Since you all enjoyed our spotlighting of all the characters from The Original Series, we’re going to continue onward by spotlighting all our mains from Star Trek: The Next Generation as well! Of course, we were going to do it anyway because we’re having a blast going officer by officer and reminiscing on their high and low points, but I wanted you to feel special.

And what better way to start things off than with one of the fandom’s favorite and most ethical characters, and the one who sparked his own [deeply flawed] spinoff series, Captain Jean-Luc Picard! So join us on this week’s A Star to Steer Her By as we put on our captain’s bomber jacket, whip out our Ressikan flutes, and drape our Mintakan tapestries over the backs of chairs. Read on below for when Picard was at his best, and subsequently at his worst, and listen to the banter over on this week’s podcast episode (jump to 1:08:49 if you're not here for Enterprise chat). Make it so!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Not now, Doctor. Please. I already foresee talking about “The Naked Now” quite a lot over the next couple of weeks because everyone’s character ends up exaggerated by the polywater syndrome. And Picard is no exception. We do admit that it is good of him to fight his intoxication and also Bev’s advances, and it also gives us that little horny chuckle and skip that are just so endearing.

Prove to the court that I am sentient Picard becomes known throughout the series for his excellent ethical and philosophical speeches, and the first really big one comes in “The Measure of a Man” and it’s a doozy. It’s no small feat determining sentience (really, sapience) of a being, and Picard standing up to Bruce Maddox to fight for Data’s rights is something to take pride in and aspire to.

The time cops would be proud Picard’s relationship with Guinan is intriguing throughout all of TNG, and his trust in her abilities is enough for him to believe that it is best to send the Enterprise-C back to their rightful place in history in “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” As his alternate-timeline ship is crashing down around him and his crew is dying all over the bridge, he heroically gives the C their best shot.

Sarek <3 Spock In our Top 5 TNG Episodes list, “Sarek” ended up being the only episode that made all four of your hosts’ lists. And for good reason! Picard compassionately helps Sarek through a bout of Bendii syndrome by mindmelding with him so he can get back to his ambassadorial work, and we end up with some of the best Patrick Stewart acting in the whole show for it!

Bedtime for Borgo Picard has a rough time throughout all of “The Best of Both Worlds,” spending most of the two-parter as Locutus, as you’ll see in just a moment. But at the end of Part II, he’s able to fight through the Borg programming just enough to give Data the one-word cue “Sleep,” which turns out to be the undoing of the Borg in that Battle of Wolf-359.

Mev yap! I’m always a big fan of watching Picard speaking Klingon in their ceremonies. It shows how seriously he takes their customs. And in “Reunion,” when he breaks out the ja’chuq while arbitrating the Rite of Succession and also looking into K’mpec’s murder, it’s so ballsy that you’ve got to respect the guy. Or, at least anyone who isn’t as dishonorable as Duras has got to respect the guy.

With the first link, the chain is forged Yet another in a long line of great Picard speeches comes in “The Drumhead.” Admiral Satie gets more and more power hungry to convict people throughout her Red Scare hearings, even through unscrupulous means. Picard rightly puts her in her place by throwing the just words of her own father in her face. No wonder she’s on Jake’s Evil Admirals listicle.

Sokath, his eyes uncovered! Picard befriending Captain Dathon in “Darmok” is so Picardy that I’m swapping it in for that great line from “Peak Performance” I mentioned on the podcast (which is still great, but the screengrab was more boring). And I’m just so impressed with Picard’s patience in learning the seemingly nonsensical Tamarian language and his willingness to trust another being who just wants to communicate with him.

Resistance is not futile While it could be debated that this moment be prime fodder for Picard’s Worst Moments list for not getting rid of the Borg when he had the chance in “I, Borg,” we’ve got to admit it’s such a good moment for Picard to connect with Hugh and save his life. After having been forced into the role of Locutus, Picard has got to feel some small triumph that he didn’t commit genocide this day.

There! Are! Four! Lights!  More absolutely stellar Patrick Stewart acting comes in “Chain of Command, Part II.” Say what you will about Part I (Picard had no reason to be on this mission, there, I said it), watching Picard retain his humanity and resolution while being tortured by Gul Madred is riveting stuff. And no matter how many times I see it, I get goosebumps at his “four lights” defiance every time.

Yippee-ki-yay Here’s another kinda late addition to this list but how can one not include all the sabotaging of the ship he does in “Starship Mine”? It’s clear that Picard knows his ship like the back of his hand (the one that wasn’t briefly a Borg hand, more likely) when you watch him outsmart a bunch of terrorists as he John McClanes all over the Enterprise-D.

How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong? Insurrection may not be anyone’s favorite of the Star Trek movies (here’s ours, for reference!), but Picard’s ethical debate feels so immensely right. Between standing up to Dougherty (another evil admiral!), to fighting for the rights of the Ba’ku, to his great line to Gallatin, “I’m not pleading for my life; I’m pleading for yours,” this is the most Picard has ever Picarded. Period.

—

Worst moments

Shut up, Wesley While we were tempted to also include this moment in our Best Moments list, it’s true that no matter how obnoxious Wesley is being (and he so often is; just wait until our Wesley spotlight), it’s never right to tell him to shut up. Even less so when he is literally the only member of the crew who is actually giving you pertinent information to save the day, as he was in “Datalore.”

Breaking the cycle Since we first watched it, we’ve been simply perplexed by “Time Squared.” There’s a reason it made so many of our Worst Time Travel Episode lists. Picard, at an entire loss for ideas, decides to kill the other him who’s been bonking around to see if that stops the time loops, and then leaves the corpse there for Pulaski to find without telling anyone which him it is! WTF?

I don't know if I want to be Eve I’ve also got to give Picard some guff for making the Bringloidi breeding stock for the Mariposans in “Up the Long Ladder.” Brenna even chastises Picard in the final scene for deciding this with only the male leaders of each society without consulting the women, who will have to basically become baby incubators, and even more annoyingly, she ends up being into it!

Resistance IS futile! While we can’t exactly blame Picard himself for being turned into Locutus in “The Best of Both Worlds,” resulting in huge losses for the Federation, we do have to admit it’s one of his lowest points as a human being. There’s a reason why Picard actually needs to take a mental health vacation in “Family,” something we tended to never see in Star Trek of that era.

Another orphan for the Rozhenkos You could tell by the look on Picard’s face after he accidentally killed Junior’s mother in “Galaxy’s Child” that he knows he screwed up. Couldn’t they have just left her alone in space instead of provoking her to attack them and then finding it necessary to shoot her dead? And now poor Junior has to be raised by his asshole aunts and uncles, thank you very much.

Now now now now! I mean, we were bound to dislike “Rascals” regardless because of its terrible child actors and obnoxious plot, but when you think about it, Picard was also entirely out of character. And it’s not just because he was supposed to be prepubescent: it was because he suddenly couldn’t lead his crew, and being smaller and whinier is no excuse for ignoring all his past experiences!

Mystery solved: Picard did it! If we picked on Kirk back in one of our earlier character spotlights for never checking in on Khan when he marooned him on Ceti Alpha V, then you’re damn right we’re going to pick on Picard for not checking in on Moriarty between “Elementary, Dear Data” and “Ship in a Bottle.” In that time, the holographic mastermind got rightly impatient and took matters into his own hands.

Play dom-jot, human “Tapestry” portrays how brash and short-sighted and tail-chasing Picard was in his years at Starfleet Academy, and how his willingness to get into scrapes got him into a fight with Nausicaans that really should have killed him if it weren’t for future technology. Thank the Continuum for JL’s artificial heart that allowed him to become the man we saw him become.

So it was gik'tal after all While we get that Sito Jaxa had a lot to atone for after the incident in “The First Duty,” we are still uncomfortable with how much Jean-Luc guilted her into going on the very dangerous mission that got her killed in “Lower Decks.” Picard definitely abused his power over her in this instance because he knew how badly she wanted to save face and he exploited it.

Kill the Dorvan V native, save the man Indeed, one of the worst decisions we see Picard make is when he just acts on Necheyev’s orders (hey, another of Jake’s Evil Admirals!) like a little sheep and coordinates moving the inhabitants of Dorvan V in “Journey’s End.” It’s shameful to watch Picard go the route of the Trail of Tears, and then only come around when he’s shown who his ancestor was. 

I think it’s time to try some unsafe velocities We talk a lot about how the Prime Directive isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but that’s still no excuse for all the dunebuggying antics Picard performed in Nemesis. Especially in front of all the natives of the planet (or what we assumed were natives). What a pathetic scene in a pathetic movie. It’s so clear they just wanted to race around in an ATV for a little excitement, but it was absolutely stupid and out of character.

The triumph of the echo over the voice Fittingly, we have even more Nemesis moments to lament since it was such a detestable movie. All movie long, I don’t understand why Picard is so conflicted about the clone situation, as if Shinzon is literally Picard himself and it would reflect poorly on him somehow. That’s not how clones work, dude! There’s no saving this asshole. And unrelatedly, but here we are: stop ordering Worf to go naked to the wedding on Betazed; that’s just gross!!!

—

Well, our Earl Grey tea has gotten lukewarm, and that means we’ve got to wrap things up. Make sure you join us next week for more character spotlights, this one of the bearded variety, and also keep following along with our watchthrough of Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast. You can also discuss diplomatic relations with us on Facebook and Twitter, and let Worf keep his clothes on if he wants!

[bucolicbook]

Shades of Mercy (Porter Beck, #2) by Bruce Borgos

US pub date - 7/16/24

Shades of Mercy, the second title of the Porter Beck series by Bruce Borgos, starts strong and doesn’t let up. The story pulled me in immediately and fully held my attention to the point that I read it over the course of a twenty-four hour period. 

This is seriously good reading. 

Hats off to Mr. Borgos, Shades of Mercy is a highly, highly enjoyable novel. If you’re looking for a new series, this one has my recommendations. And I, for one, am already looking forward to future titles. 

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC

[marjaystuff]

New Blog: Stay Cool and Read

A whole week of unplanned time except for reading!  What a blessing it was!  I wanted to just read for a couple of days, but with the excruciating heat, the time lengthened.  I feel more at peace when I have time to read.  

The books I read this week filled a number of different genres from historical fiction, all the way to an espionage thriller.  Main characters ranged from a foodie writer to a sheriff to a debutante.  Of the eight books, five were by authors unknown to me.  I read about murder, mayhem, cheating, deceiving, and whirling the night away dancing.  All of them included some kind of family drama, although Lenny Marks had the wildest family drama.  

Books Read this week:

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos - police, espionage, hacking, thriller, suspense ( 4 stars )

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder  by Kerryn Mayne - family drama, murder mystery, suspense, quirky characters, debut novel (4 stars)

Magic of Sea Glass by Jenny Hale - family drama, second chance at love, secrets, oceans (5 stars)

Winning the Covert’s Lady’s Heart by Jenny Harwell - historical romance, family drama, secrets (4 stars)

The Seaside Sisters by Pamela Kelly - family drama, second chances, foodie, Cape Cod

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline - family drama, legal, thriller,  (4 stars)

Falling for the Marquess by Alexa Aston - historical romance, family drama, war heroes (4 stars)

Oddity of the Ton by Emily Royal - historical romance, family drama, quirky main characters (4 stars)

Elise was equally busy with books this week.  She sent in a new interview with Joseph Kanon and his new book Shanghai.  Elise said the book was a historical fiction and a crime story that is thrilling. The novel is set in 1939 when Shanghai took in a number of Jewish immigrants.

Stay cool and read.

[ladyelaineofastolat]

REVIEW: The Bitter Past

Author: Bruce Borgos | Published: 07.18.23 While not typically fond of historical fiction in general, I liked the feel of this book. It definitely read as an action/thriller spy kind of thing which was a nice change of pace for a small-town cop story. Borgia kicks his series off with a bang, and gives us a potential international incident, spies, and a heartbreaking dual timeline set during the…

[lovelyloveday]

The Bitter Past is a captivating mystery infused with espionage, intriguing storytelling and skillfully crafted characters. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos  https://bit.ly/3JKhInT 

[aion-rsa]

DC FanDome: Schedule, Date, Time, and How to Watch

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Fans hoping for major DC news in lieu of an actual San Diego Comic-Con are definitely going to get just that at DC FanDome, a digital event designed to be watched at home like a real con.

Originally set up as one epic night of panels and reveals, DC announced that it will be splitting FanDome into two separate and distinct events: Hall of Heroes, which will be held in late August, and WatchVerse in mid-September.

The August date still holds most of the big-ticket items. It’s billed by DC as “an epic world designed personally by Jim Lee featuring special programming, panels and exclusive reveals from a wide variety of films, TV series, games, comics and more.” Functionally, it’s the Hall H of FanDome.

This DC FanDome trailer gives fans a good glimpse at what they can expect from the event:

Here’s everything else you need to know about DC FanDome:

DC FanDome Date and Time

The first DC FanDome event, Hall of Heroes, kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1 pm ET. Sign up to watch here!

DC FanDome Schedule

Here’s a rundown of all the panels happening during DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes. The panel descriptions below are courtesy of DC. All times are ET:

1:00 PM – Wonder Woman 1984 Panel

“Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal, and director/co-writer/producer Patty Jenkins join forces with Brazilian hosts Érico Borgo and Aline Diniz to celebrate the fans in a big way. They will answer questions from fans from all over the world, talk fan art and cosplay, and reveal an all-new sneak peek at the upcoming film — plus a few more surprises!”

1:25 PM – WB Games Montreal Announcement

“Gamers! You won’t want to miss this first look at an exciting new game, and Q&A with its developers.”

1:45 PM – The Sandman Universe: Enter the Dreaming Panel

“Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs, G. Willow Wilson and Michael Sheen discuss the legacy of The Sandman comic book series and how it has been expanded with new stories, adapted into new mediums, and enthralled audiences around the world.”

2:15 PM – Multiverse 101 Panel

“Get schooled in this engaging refresher course on the creation of the Multiverse with DC Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee, Warner Bros. Pictures President of DC-Based Film Production Walter Hamada, and Berlanti Productions founder/DCTV mega-producer Greg Berlanti.”

2:40 PM – Flash Movie Panel

“This 101-style conversation with The Flash filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, star Ezra Miller and screenwriter Christina Hodson will give fans a speedy rundown on the first-ever Flash feature film.”

2:50 PM – Beyond Batman Short

“The Batman of Swinging Sixties culture clashes with the Batman of the far-flung future when Batman Beyond and his mentor, Old Bruce Wayne, intercept a broadcast of the 1966 Batman TV show!”

2:55 PM – The Suicide Squad Panel

“What else would you expect from The Suicide Squad but the ultimate elimination game? First up, writer/director James Gunn takes on fan questions, then brings out Task Force X for a fast-paced, no-holds-barred Squad Showdown that tests every team member’s Squad knowledge — and survival skills!”

3:40 PM – BAWSE Females of Color within the DCU Panel

“What’s a BAWSE? Find out here as some of the hottest actresses across DC television and film sit down with celebrity DJ D-Nice and Grammy-winning singer/actress Estelle to discuss how they use their confidence and vulnerability to navigate their careers in Hollywood. Panelists include Meagan Good (SHAZAM!), Javicia Leslie (Batwoman), Candice Patton (The Flash), Tala Ashe (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Nafessa Williams and Chantal Thuy (Black Lightning), and Anna Diop and Damaris Lewis (Titans). Catch the entire full-length conversation at McDuffie’s Dakota in the DC WatchVerse.”

4:00 PM – Legacy of the Bat Panel

“Calling all Batman fans! Don’t miss this discussion on the wide scope of the Batman universe, including the Batman Family of characters. Key talent from comics, TV, and games will provide insight into the world of Caped Crusader.”

4:30 PM – Joker: Put on a Happy Face

“Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The Joker, and learn why the Clown Prince of Crime is universally hailed as the greatest comic book Super-Villain of all time.”

4:45 PM – Surprise DC Comics Panel

TBA

5:10 PM – I’m Batman: The Voices Behind the Cowl Panel

“Everyone has their favorite Batman. But for audiences around the world, their favorite Batman has a local sound. It’s time to meet the voices behind the cowl. Hear what it’s like to be one of the many global vocal actors portraying the Dark Knight when the Super Dubbers, who lend their talents to the Caped Crusader on screens big and small all over the world, come together for the first time ever.”

5:30 PM – The Snyder Cut of Justice League Panel

“Zack Snyder fields questions from fans and a few surprise guests as he discusses his eagerly awaited upcoming cut of the 2017 feature film and the movement that made it happen.”

5:54 PM – The Flash TV Panel

“Executive producer Eric Wallace joins cast members Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Nicolet, Kayla Compton, and Brandon McKnight to discuss all things Flash with Entertainment Weekly’s Chancellor Agard. Team Flash will break down both parts of season six and look ahead at what is to come with an exclusive trailer for season seven. Fans will also get a look at the exclusive black-and-white noir episode ‘Kiss Kiss Breach Breach,’ which will be available on The Flash season six Blu-ray and DVD on August 25.”

6:10 PM – Black Adam Panel

“Star of the first-ever Black Adam feature film Dwayne Johnson sets the stage for the story and tone of the new movie with a fans-first Q&A…and a few surprises.”

6:30 PM – CNN Heroes: Real Life Heroes in the Age of the Coronavirus

“While DC features iconic fictional Super Heroes recognized around the world, CNN Heroes shines a light on real-life, everyday people making a difference in their communities. Now, as the global Covid-19 pandemic has turned all of our worlds upside down, CNN’s Anderson Cooper introduces you to the frontline workers, advocates, neighbors, and friendly strangers who are coming together to help us through this crisis.”

6:50 PM – Titans TV Panel

“’Titans are back, b*tches!’ That phrase kicked off an explosive second season of Titans that culminated with the long-awaited emergence of Nightwing as their leader and the tragic death of one of their own. And as a new mysterious threat looms, season three promises to be the biggest yet! Join executive producer Greg Walker and series stars Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Conor Leslie, Curran Walters, Joshua Orpin, Damaris Lewis, with Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly for a preview of the new season as well as a discussion on the ‘Fan Favorite Moments’ of the first two seasons.”

7:05 PM – Aquaman Panel

“Aquaman director James Wan and King Orm himself, Patrick Wilson, take a deep dive into the world of Atlantis that Wan created, revealing their favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the largest DC movie ever!”

7:15 PM – “Ask Harley Quinn”

“She has gone toe-to-toe with Batman and the Justice League, and taken down The Joker and the toughest villains of Gotham City, but at DC FanDome, Harley Quinn faces her toughest challenge yet — answering burning questions from DC’s biggest fans in her own tell it as it is, no-BS style. If you love the Harley Quinn animated series, this is one you cannot f—king miss!”

7:20 PM – Wonder Woman 80th Anniversary Celebration Panel

“As an Amazon and a god, Wonder Woman is truly timeless. So, it’s hard to believe she’s turning 80! Join Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot, along with a very special guest, as they reflect on the character’s influence on them personally, and look forward to the 2021 celebrations!”

7:25 – Tomorrow’s Superheroes with Jim Lee

“DC Chief Creative Officer/Publisher Jim Lee joins Bing Chen, founder of the global non-profit collective Gold House, to discuss the important contributions of Asian artists and writers in comics and comic book–inspired entertainment.”

7:40 PM – SHAZAM! Panel

“Zac Levi and the cast can’t tell you s#&t! Sworn to secrecy on the new script for their upcoming movie, Zac and a few of his SHAZAM! castmates talk with the Philippines’ #1 DC fan, Gino Quillamor, about what the next movie might be about, while commenting on everything from panels to the other Zack’s cut — and even have a few surprise guests drop in!”

8:10 PM – Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Panel

“Will Arnett hosts the highly anticipated video game reveal from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the Batman: Arkham franchise.”

8:30 PM – The Batman Panel

“The Batman filmmaker Matt Reeves joins host and self-professed fangirl Aisha Tyler for a discussion of the upcoming film…with a surprise (or two) for the fans!”

You can check out the full DC FanDome schedule here.

DC FanDome Live Stream

While DC FanDome is free for all to enjoy, you will need to create an account on DCFanDome.com in order to watch the event. You’ll then be able to access each panel via the DC FanDome program scheduler.

Following the conclusion of The Batman panel at the end of Hall of Heroes, the Fandome schedule will then cycle back through two more times, giving you three shots to watch in a 24-hour period.

DC FanDome: WatchVerse Date and Time

DC will host a second, on-demand FanDome event called WatchVerse on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 pm ET. While viewers will be able to access all content in any order they please, the event will only be available for 24 hours.

This event will include the previously announced panel on the expansion of “DC’s Watchmen Universe” discussion with Damon Lindelof and Tom King talking Rorschach, a Joker War panel with Batman writer James Tynion IV and Batgirl scribe Cecil Castellucci, a Three Jokers panel with Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok, a panel on John Ridley’s exciting upcoming The Other History of the DC Universe, and more.

The post DC FanDome: Schedule, Date, Time, and How to Watch appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/34jSTev

[pipperoni32-blog]

The Bitter Past

By Bruce Borgos / 4 Stars

(Publication date July 18, 2023. Look for this title coming out!)

This was a bit of a slow starter for me, I wasn't sure if I'd like sheriff Porter Beck. He was very unassuming, though we learn later that beneath his laid-back demeanor, he's very observant and has many strengths that he hides, to reveal at just the right time. And a sheriff that has a clear weakness, his night blindness, was something I'd never seen before, and I'm curious to see how it will be developed more in upcoming books.

Likewise, the Cold War and nuclear testing connections had me stepping back and wondering how they would fit. Which really is a good start for a mystery, even if it has me scratching my head a bit.

Sheriff Beck is in charge of a large portion of the Nevada high desert, even if the population is low. So finding a retired FBI agent tortured and murdered is not a normal occurrence and has the whole police force getting involved. The sudden appearance of FBI agent Sana Locke seems like a welcome help, though Beck soon finds himself wondering what she's really there for.

The plot moves well, and everything comes together seamlessly. Plenty of action and intrigue, and a satisfying ending with a welcome cast of characters. I look forward to reading the next installment of Porter Beck's, and learning more about his small town.

Thank you for the ARC through NetGalley.

(Sorry for the brief review, I'm still getting the hang of reviewing mysteries without giving too much away. But I love them, and this was a very welcome read!)

[jolieeason]

July 2024 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read, posted, won, received, and bought in July. Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them. Books I Read: Books Reviewed: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood—review here Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn—review coming October 15th, 2024 Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore—review coming October 29th, 2024 Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller—review coming…

[paulo0369]

E o vídeo de hoje é... É O MELHOR BATMAN, SIM!

Robert Pattinson está prestes a ser oficializado como o novo Batman do cinema, e neste OmeleTV nós defendemos por que ele é o melhor Bruce Wayne possível! E mais: a despedida de Thiago Romariz e o melhor filme da DC no cinema! #TheBatman #RobertPattinson #Batman ASSINE O CANAL :) http://youtube.com/omeleteve Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/omelete Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Qt3D3V CRÉDITOS: Roteiro e Apresentação: Thiago Romariz, Erico Borgo e Marcelo Hessel Câmera: Georgia Leopoldi Som: Diego Queiroz Edição: Lucas Rafael Identidade Visual: Ryan Smallman Caso queiram assistir no YouTube clique aqui

[pangeanews]

“Siamo tutti figli di Sherwood Anderson”. Compie 100 anni “Winesburg, Ohio”, il libro più influente della letteratura americana moderna. A lui si sono ispirati Faulkner, Hemingway, Dos Passos (e pure Pavese)

Nell’autunno del 1915, quando viveva in una pensione bohemienne nella Chicago nord, Sherwood Anderson prese a lavorare ad una raccolta di racconti che descrivevano le vite strangolate degli abitanti di Winesburg, un centro di sua invenzione e collocato nella Ohio degli anni Novanta dell’Ottocento. Trasse materia dalla sua propria esperienza, quando cresceva nel borgo agricolo di Clyde, sempre in Ohio, dove viveva a stretto contatto con una banda di sperduti e nevrotici alla deriva nelle pianure del Midwest, quando tutti i membri del gruppo tentavano – fallendo – di inquadrarsi nelle strade di quel centro, contornato d’olmi, ciascuno alla ricerca di un significato, di un rapporto umano, di un amore.

Questi personaggi “grotteschi”, come Anderson li chiamava, avevano lasciato che il dubbio e la paura prevalessero sui loro istinti migliori. Erano, così credeva lo scrittore, delle casualità all’interno di una cultura chiusissima, e condannati da questa a viverne fuori, da soli, avulsi. “Winesburg” divenne presto una parola d’ordine, una metafora per la vuotaggine di una vita rurale sempre intesa a sbadigliare.

Oggi il libro, “Winesburg, Ohio” è la base nelle lezioni di inglese a fine liceo, è un classico riconosciuto, il numero 24 dell’elenco stilato da Modern Library in una lista di 100 autori nordamericani. Ma il percorso di quel libro, pubblicato un secolo fa l’8 maggio del 1919, prima di giungere all’accoglimento da parte del pubblico, fu tutt’altro che semplice.

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Prima che l’editore di “Winesburg, Ohio” leggesse il manoscritto di Anderson nell’agosto del 1918, questo era già stato respinto da entrambe le sponde dell’Atlantico. Persino la compagnia londinese John Lane che aveva pubblicato i lavori precedenti di Anderson (due racconti e un libro in versi, quando nessun editore a New York nemmeno li toccava) rifiutò il nuovo testo come “troppo cupo”. Ma Huebsch, che aveva già introdotto in USA James Joyce e D.H. Lawrence, fu d’accordo per la pubblicazione.

Nei primi due anni il libro vendette 5000 modeste copie, come gli scettici avevano previsto. All’opposto, il take on sui piccoli centri di Sinclair Lewis, “Main Street”, pubblicato un anno dopo Anderson, vendette oltre 390000 copie nello stesso periodo di due anni.

Il libro di Anderson riuscì poco meglio coi critici. Benché alcuni, tra i quali il sovrano delle patrie lettere, H.L. Mencken, ricoprissero Anderson di elogi – “qui davvero abbiamo un lavoro che si staglia sul consueto corso dell’invenzione narrativa allo stesso modo delle Alpi sopra la piana del Piemonte” – molti recensori furono barbarici. Il giornalista Heywood Broun riteneva “monotono” il libro, mentre altri lamentarono che le descrizioni di Anderson mancassero di profondità e che i suoi personaggi fossero a una dimensione, “marionette con un loro nome”.

Ma gli attacchi più veementi colpirono la presunta preoccupazione di Anderson per il sesso. E infatti molte delle sue storie contraddicendo le regole prevalenti in campo letterario, esploravano apertamente gli effetti distruttivi del desiderio soffocato, della repressione sessuale, della perversione. Anderson divenne celebre per essere “un Cechov fallico” i cui libri, secondo un recensore anonimo di The New York Evening Post, “nessun uomo desidererebbe finissero nella mani di sua figlia o di sua sorella”.

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Forse Anderson non fu mai disprezzato tanto quanto nel suo paese natale, Clyde. La principale libreria del posto bruciò a migliaia le copie dei suoi libri e per molti anni qualsiasi frequentatore della biblioteca civica che li richiedesse riceveva il cipiglio dell’impiegato che cercava la chiave per il ripostiglio chiuso dove era tenuta, insieme ad altri “libri pessimi”, la sola copia sopravvissuta alle fiamme.

Scrivendo le sue memorie a un ventennio da questi avvenimenti, Anderson ricordava che, dopo l’uscita del libro, “per settimane e mesi la mia cassetta delle lettere fu intasata da lettere che mi davano del lurido, uno scopritore di fogne”. Le critiche, diceva, “mi fecero ammalare”.

Un secolo dopo è difficile capire il perché di tanto chiasso. Nessun lettore moderno arrossisce per come Anderson tratta il sesso, trattamento casto per gli standard attuali. “Winesburg, Ohio” deve la sua durevolezza non ai valori scioccanti ma al modo col quale cattura alla perfezione una società sul ciglio di un mutamento colossale. Decenni dopo la pubblicazione del libro, Waldo Frank, il quale aveva stampato sulla sua rivista The Seven Arts alcuni racconti poi finiti in “Winesburg, Ohio”, sottolineava che Anderson si era messo a descrivere “un mondo degli USA di mezzo che già allora era una generazione finita”

Infatti “Winesburg, Ohio” – con le sue strade sporche, cavalli e luci a gas, coi suoi contadini, negozianti e artigiani – rappresentava una cultura rurale che presto doveva essere spazzato via da un fermento socio-tecnologico senza precedenti. Quando il soprintendente al censimento degli USA dichiarò che la frontiera americana avrebbe chiuso nel 1890, due terzi degli Americani ancora abitavano in piccoli villaggi rurali non molto diversi da Winesburg. Ma entro gli anni Venti, per la prima volta nella storia della nazione, la maggioranza degli Americani erano residenti di aree urbane.

Un insieme di fattori contribuì a questa svolta demografica, e tra questi il boom industriale nordamericano durante la Prima guerra mondiale che portò milioni di lavoratori in città alla ricerca del lavoro, poi un gran numero di immigrati dall’Europa dell’est e del sud, infine la Grande Migrazione di quasi mezzo milione di afroamericani dal sud degli USA (includendo la percentuale sconcertante del 10,4% data dalla risultante della popolazione nera di Alabama e Mississippi) verso le città del Midwest, dell’Ovest e lungo tutta la costa atlantica.

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Allo stesso tempo, la vita quotidiana si accelerava. Nel 1900 il cavallo restava il principale mezzo di locomozione e meno di 14000 automobili – viste dalla maggioranza come giocattoli per ricchi – spuntarono sulle strade nazionali piene di fossi. Entro gli anni Venti ve ne erano nove milioni. I passeggeri sui treni più che duplicarono il numero delle loro corse e triplicarono il numero di miglia percorse nella decade che precede il censimento del 1920, e questo aiutò a trasformare l’industria stradale nella più grande per fatturato e numero d’impiegati. Macchine a conduzione elettrica sviluppate nel 1898 scorrevano adesso in centinaia di centri e di città quasi fossero gli araldi dell’età dei pendolari. Il rumore e la sporcizia della vita urbana, insieme ai pregiudizi degli abitanti ricchi che fuggivano dai sobborghi sempre più misti quanto a diversità etniche, furono il corollario dei “sobborghi di auto”, dove i viali tranquilli e alberati imitavano l’estetica del piccolo villaggio del tempo andato.

Prima di farsi scrittore a tempo pieno, Anderson era stato catturato dalla nuova “fame di moneta” che lo fece diventare proprietario di un’industria di colori a Elyria in Ohio. Ma nel 1913, dopo un crollo nervoso, lasciò moglie e figli e si trasferì a Chicago. Lì fu inghiottito dall’ambiente culturale che il critico Carl Van Doren chiamò “la rivota che viene dal villaggio”, il quale era composto da nuovi inurbati che, al pari di Anderson, si allenavano letterariamente negli scenari rurali che si erano lasciati alle spalle. Il maggiore esponente del movimento era Edgar Lee Masters con la sua “Antologia di Spoon River” pubblica nel 1915: una raccolta di versi esposti tramite le voci di gente seppellita nel cimitero di un villaggio, in un Illinois fittizio. Il libro, con le sue visioni fosche della vita di paese, divenne un improbabile best seller e ispirò Anderson quando prese a scrivere quel che sarebbe diventato “Winesburg, Ohio”.

La rivolta del villaggio giunse presto al capolinea, come anche la carriera di Anderson. Continuò a pubblicare ed ebbe qualche anno di fama negli anni Venti, anche se i suoi libri, eccetto Riso nero, non vendettero bene. Fu presto subissato dai nuovi scrittori: Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, John Dos Passos, Erskine Caldwell, William Saroyan, John Steinbeck – tutti trassero la loro vena da “Winesburg, Ohio” coi suoi ritmi semplici ed espositivi, con la sua costante preoccupazione per la situazione critica della gente comune.

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Hemingway e Faulkner, in particolare, cercarono Anderson per consigli e supporto, e Anderson li diede agendo da mentore per entrambi e aiutandoli a far pubblicare i primi libri. Come le loro fortune si libravano in alto e la sua calava, tentarono di distanziarsi da Anderson con romanzi che deridevano crudelmente la sua personalità e la sua prosa: “Zanzare” di Faulkner e “Torrenti di primavera” di Hemingway.

Anderson morì nel marzo del ’41 per infezione intestinale dopo aver ingoiato uno stuzzicadenti mentre era a un cocktail newyorkese. Ma la sua influenza letteraria rimase vivissima – e Faulkner lo ammise in seguito. Nel dicembre del 1950, ricevendo il Nobel, disse a al municipio di Stoccolma che lui e tutta la sua generazione nordamericana erano “figli di Sherwood Anderson”.

Bruce Falconer

[traduzione italiana di Andrea Bianchi]

*Il testo è stato pubblicato originariamente sul “New York Times” l’8 maggio 2019 come “Sherwood Anderson’s Revolutionary Small Town”. Appena è il caso di ricordare i legami di Cesare Pavese – e quindi della cultura letteraria italiana – con Sherwood Anderson, testimoniati, tra l’altro, nel saggio “Middle West e Piemonte”. “Winseburg, Ohio” è in catalogo Einaudi, nella traduzione di Giuseppe Trevisani, 2011.

L'articolo “Siamo tutti figli di Sherwood Anderson”. Compie 100 anni “Winesburg, Ohio”, il libro più influente della letteratura americana moderna. A lui si sono ispirati Faulkner, Hemingway, Dos Passos (e pure Pavese) proviene da Pangea.

from pangea.news http://bit.ly/2YhTreF

[colospaola]

Domenica 22 ottobre la Società Dante Alighieri proporrà la terza edizione della giornata nazionale dei parchi letterari italiani, per rivivere l’atmosfera e le suggestioni dove sono nati i grandi poemi e romanzi italiani tra passeggiate, degustazioni, letture, esposizioni e rappresentazioni teatrali.

Nel parco dedicato a Petrarca, a Padova e nei Colli Euganei, ci sarà un viaggio nei versi del poeta aretino e le lettere appassionate di grandi scrittori del romanticismo, dall’amor cortese dei trovatori provenzali ai poemi di Shelley, Byron e Foscolo, fino a Bruce Chatwin, con oasi naturalistiche, abbazie, castelli, ville, terme e la casa di Francesco Petrarca ad Arquà, ultima dimora del poeta.

Il parco ispirato a Eugenio Montale, nelle Cinque Terre, conserva un paesaggio naturale struggente, premiato dall’Unesco come patrimonio dell’umanità, che ispirò il poeta genovese, premio Nobel 1975, tra i borghi di Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola e Riomaggiore.

Alla scoperta dei borghi e dei luoghi vissuti da Dante Alighieri conduce il parco letterario Le Terre di Dante, da Firenze a Ravenna e a Vicchio, dove si trova la casa natale di Giotto e il museo d’arte sacra dedicato al Beato Angelico, fino al 31 ottobre, sarà esposta la grande tavola Madonna di san Giorgio alla Costa, una delle opere più significative di Giotto.

Più a sud, in provincia di Livorno, si trova il parco di Giosuè Carducci, dove si ritrova intatta l’atmosfera di Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri e Donoratico raccontato nei versi e nelle lettere del poeta, premio Nobel 1906.

A Ostia, quartiere di Roma, il parco dedicato allo scrittore e intellettuale romano Pier Paolo Pasolini conserva un monumento realizzato dallo scultore Mario Rosati e in Ciociaria c’è il parco letterario di Pico, dedicato allo scrittore Tommaso Landolfi.

Nel parco intitolato a Gabriele D’Annunzio, ad Anversa degli Abruzzi, ci sono le suggestive gole del Sagittario, oggi riserva naturale del WWF, che hanno ispirato molti altri letterati, botanici, artisti e viaggiatori, infatti il grafico olandese Maurits Escher prese spunto da Castrovalva, a 820 metri d’altezza tra le gole, per le sue visioni geometriche.

Nel parco di Aliano, dedicato a Carlo Levi, si trovano le emozioni e i luoghi descritti nel romanzo Cristo si è fermato a Eboli, tra il silenzio delle montagne, la solitudine dei paesi arroccati sui monti, le infinite distese di argilla, i fiumi lenti della valle dell’Agri e del Sauro e, nel paesaggio lunare dei calanchi di Tursi, c’è il parco dedicato al poeta Albino Pierro.

Sempre in Basilicata, a Valsinni, è da vedere il parco letterario Isabella Morra, dedicato a una delle voci liriche più importanti del XVI secolo, la cui produzione fu molto apprezzata da Benedetto Croce, con un percorso che parte dal cuore del borgo medioevale di Valsinni fino al castello, dimora dei Morra.

In Campania, precisamente in Irpinia, si può vedere il parco letterario Francesco De Sanctis, dedicato allo scrittore, politico e filosofo che fu tra i maggiori critici e storici della letteratura italiana nel XIX secolo, con un viaggio tra Lacedonia, Bisaccia, Calitri, Andretta, Guardia Lombardi, Morra De Sanctis e Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi.

Per la Sicilia sono tre i parchi letterari, il parco di Caltanissetta, sul raffinato scrittore e drammaturgo siciliano Pier Maria Rosso di San Secondo, il parco letterario di Aliminusa, tra Cefalù e le Madonie, sul poeta e scrittore Giuseppe Giovanni Battaglia, e il parco di Polizzi Generosa, in provincia di Palermo, dedicato a Giuseppe Antonio Borgese.

Altri parchi letterari aperti il 22 ottobre saranno il parco di Galtellì, in Sardegna, dedicato a Grazia Deledda, premio Nobel 1926 e il parco dell’Adda Nord, dedicato ad Alessandro Manzoni, tra le chiuse di Leonardo a Trezzo sull’Adda, il ponte di Paderno e il villaggio operaio di Crespi d’Adda, fino ai più famosi luoghi manzoniani lungo il fiume Adda, reso celebre dallo scrittore dei Promessi Sposi.

La giornata nazionale dei parchi letterari italiani 2017 Domenica 22 ottobre la Società Dante Alighieri proporrà la terza edizione della giornata nazionale dei parchi letterari italiani,